Muar State Railway
| Muar State Railway Keretapi Kerajaan Muar كريتاڤي كراجأن موار |
|
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Type | Passenger and freight light rail |
| Status | Ceased operation |
| Locale | Johor, Malaya. |
| Termini |
Bandar Maharani (Muar town), Johor. Parit Pulai, Johor. |
| Stations | 5 permanent stations and 8 temporary stations. |
| Services | 1 |
| Operation | |
| Opened | 1890 |
| Closed | 1929 |
| Operator(s) | Muar district government |
| Rolling stock | >3 steam locomotive; unknown number of railroad cars. |
| Technical | |
| Number of tracks | 1 |
| Track gauge | 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) |
The Muar State Railway (MSR) (Malay: Keretapi Kerajaan Muar ; Jawi: كريتاڤي كراجأن موار) was a railroad operating in the district of Muar in Johor, Malaya (now Malaysia). Significantly, the MSR was the second railway line to operate in Johor after the short-lived Johore Wooden Railway (JWR), and began operation in 1890, five years after the opening of Perak Railway's Taiping-Port Weld line. In comparison to the JWR, the MSR was more successful commercially, operating for 39 years before facing closure under stiff competition coupled with rising operation costs.
The district of Muar enjoyed significant economic growth during the late 19th century as a result of a boom in the agricultural industry around the newly formed town of Bandar Maharani (also known as Muar town). As a result, Muar was economically important in Johor.
The need for a railway arose when Parit Jawa, an area under Muar south of Bandar Maharani, required safe passage for the transportation of crops such as gambiers, coconuts and Pinangs. As Parit Jawa was inaccessible to Bandar Maharani via land, transport of goods would have to be conducted by river and sea, which were exposed to pirate attacks.
On November 13, 1887, a discussion was held between Resident Tungku Sulaiman and the head for the Land Office and Agriculture Affairs of Muar district, Dato' Bentara Luar, which concluded with an agreement to construct a railway line between Bandar Maharani and Parit Jawa for dual uses: To transport passengers between the two localities, and to improve transportation of goods.
Early construction work on the Muar State Railway line were conducted mostly by Malay and Javanese workers, the latter having migrated in masses to the Malay peninsula, with low pay and no permanent jobs. Construction of the MSR commenced early 1889 with materials entirely supplied from Europe, the line from Jalan Sulaiman (Sulaiman Road) in Bandar Maharani to Parit Jawa completed in 1890. In 1894, the line was extended another 3 miles (4.8 km) to Sungai Pulai.
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